The Chinqua-Penn Plantation records contain the papers of the Penn family (1863-1975, bulk 1923-1946) as well as the records of the management of the property by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina State University, and the Chinqua-Penn Foundation (1921-1926, 1957-2002, bulk 1965-2002). This collection ... More

The Chinqua-Penn Plantation records contain the papers of the Penn family (1863-1975, bulk 1923-1946) as well as the records of the management of the property by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina State University, and the Chinqua-Penn Foundation (1921-1926, 1957-2002, bulk 1965-2002). This collection includes correspondence, reports, financial records, property and animal records, architectural drawings, photographs and scrapbooks, audio-visual materials, newspaper clippings, marketing materials, and inventories of the art, artifacts, and furniture collections, among other items. Within the materials dating from the management period are extensive records from research conducted on the property and the Penn family. Named for the chinquapin, a dwarf chestnut tree, Chinqua-Penn Plantation was built by Thomas Jefferson "Jeff" Penn and Margaret Beatrice "Betsy" Schoellkopf (Schwill) Penn during the 1920s. The large house reflected their lifestyle of entertaining and traveling, and it showcased the art and furniture they collected from around the world. The plantation's grounds evolved into an exotic horticultural collection of both native and imported plants. Chinqua-Penn was maintained by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro from 1965 to the late 1980s. NC State University took over its management and reopened it shortly thereafter. In 1991, the Chinqua-Penn Foundation was formed to preserve the house and open it to visitors. The foundation secured the plantation's status as a National Historic Landmark. Although NC State University continues to administer the Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center on the mansion grounds, further funding problems forced the foundation to close the museum's doors. NC State University sold the house to a private owner in 2006. Less